What is the problem with top-down leadership and what is a viable alternative to this?
This article seeks to analyse the different pitfalls of leading from top-down.
In this particular entry we discover how top-down leadership causes :
Time to be wasted on micromanaging which could have been used for business and service development
When leaders micromanage it sends a clear signal, 'I don't trust you to do the work well enough on your own'.
It leads to checking over the minute behaviours of staff like:
Checking how long they take smoke/rest breaks
Making sure they leave the office later than 6pm to increase productivity
Looking over their computer to see which page they are on
Karen Dillon, author of the HBR Guide to Office Politics says, “If your mind is filled with the micro-level details of a number of jobs, there’s no room for big picture thoughts,”
That's exactly why the 'top-down' leadership method of micromanaging can severely dampen your business, your time is better spent:
Bringing in sales through acquiring new markets
Partnerships with like-minded organisations that amplify your brand
Making a podcast to market your company as the authority in the space
So what can leaders, senior leadership and managers do instead of micromanaging?
Here are some key methods to ensure that you don't micromanage but instead empower your staff:
1) Check yourself before you wreck yourself
Spend time doing a self audit. What kind of leader do you want to be? Do you want to be the leader that has the trust of your staff? Or do you want to be the leader that misjudges and mistrusts your team all the time? Look at how you can rectify your inner flaws, cognitive biases and mismanaged beliefs about yourself and your staff.
You could even write in a journal about how you feel whenever you let go of some 'control' over your staff. What about that control gives you security? Could you have that same level of security by employing a more sustainable leadership approach?
Reflections and self-audits are the first crucial steps and they are exact questions I ask my clients whenever we go for 1-on-1 coaching or I train their staff. Check yourself before you wreck yourself.
2) After you set outcomes, focus on the journey
Love the journey as much as you want to get to the destination. The one who loves walking the path will succeed as a side-effect. When you are leading your teams, make sure you tell them what the final outcome is. 'Okay Stephanie, our goal is to be the leading events organiser in South East Asia by 2030'. Then go further and ask your staff what they think the company needs to do to get there.
The reason why this is so powerful is because the leader has now set your North Star clear for the team. Many teams don't even have a North Star and when staff ask their leaders for it, the ball is put back on their court to decide.
Leaders should set the North Star and then ask their staff for ideas on how to get there. What this does is it gives accountability and aspiration for your staff to want to reach the goal themselves.
3) Schedule feedback and feedforward sessions
Feedback and feedforward are crucial to leaders who lead from the 'inside-out'. If leaders today want to garner the support and trust from their millennial staff and Gen Zs, top-down just doesn't cut it anymore. You need to ensure that you give your staff time to give you feedback on how the company can be more effective and productive. Schedule time to get feedback on your current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and systems. Ask them what they think and how else it can be optimised.
Don't stop there, go further to engage a feedforward session. Think giving feedback opens you too much to difficult questions? Then a feedforward session might be just what the doctor ordered for you. Feedforward is about asking how the next meeting, next engagement and next system can be done better. Here's how you do it.
STEP 1: Emphasise what is already doing well
"It's great that the deck is already helping us close X amount of sales"
"This process is already giving us 90% customer satisfaction rates"
STEP 2: Coach employees and don't be defensive
"Tell me more"
"What do you think can be done"
STEP 3: Suggest how the next one can be done better
Perhaps next time we can include videos in our presentation deck at the start?
This way we can capture their attention and build credibility from the get-go
So remember those tips and pull the breaks on a 'top-down' approach to leadership!
AUTHOR BIO
Abu Sofian is a leadership consultant and keynote speaker who helps professionals find their value and communicate this value to others.
His work has reached audiences & professionals in Vietnam, South Africa, Senegal, Singapore, UK and the US thus far.
His past clients include CEOs, Directors, Founders and professionals from 7-figure companies, leading-marketing & events agencies, auditors from the ‘big 4’ consulting firms in South Africa and sales professionals in the top hospitality brands, among others.
He teaches professionals his signature programmes, ‘Goldmine In You’ leadership method and ‘Speaking for Impact: How To Speak So People Listen’ to get your point across effectively.
For the past 10 years, he has organised events, movie screenings, art residencies & concerts in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, served heads-of-states and embassies and also helped organise mental health & spirituality conferences with international scholars & professionals.
Check out more articles on my website: www.abusofian.com
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